Scoop: Senate GOP makes massive bet on streaming

The top Senate GOP super PAC has nearly tripled its spending on streaming and social media platforms this election cycle to more than $200 million, Axios has learned. Why it matters : In a record cycle for ad spending, more political money is shifting to streaming, where super PACs have greater freedom to target voters, bargain and experiment — but platforms have more power to set the rules. In some states, streaming and social media have swallowed half of the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) budget, according to a source familiar with the group's spending. SLF's $200M+ total for the 2026 cycle (up from $71M in 2024) doesn't include tens of millions of dollars funneled through the SLF-linked Texas PAC. The other side: The top Senate Democratic super PAC declined to provide a dollar figure for their spending on streaming. "Senate Majority PAC invested more this cycle in digital communications than any previous cycle, running digital campaigns in 12 states," SMP communications director Lauren French told Axios. Zoom in : Streaming and social platforms offer campaigns the power to target more specific audiences compared to traditional broadcast, and make it easier to measure the impact. "Its way more surgical than a linear broadcast buy," Zack Roday, managing director at Think Big, told Axios. But platforms can also set their own rules around which types of ads they want to accept. Some, like Netflix and TikTok, don't allow any candidate or issue ads . Republicans have complained about restrictions on ads that include transgender issues on Disney-owned platforms. Between the lines: Super PACs often pay multiple times what a campaign pays for ads on broadcast TV and radio because of laws ensuring candidates get the lowest rates. Online, super PACs can negotiate directly — and use their fat budgets and sprawling election maps as leverage. SLF works with platforms like SiriusXM, Paramount, Hulu, YouTube and others to lock in discounts based on their overall spending plans, ac